New Delhi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to grant minority status to the Jain community.
The Minority Affairs Ministry has moved a Cabinet note to clear the proposal after consulting the Attorney General on the issue.
Currently, Jains enjoy minority status in some states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Once recognised as a minority, Jains would get a share in central funds earmarked for welfare programmes and scholarships for the minorities.

Click to expand...

If there were a Time Machine, the Congress can teach one or two thing to the British how to divide people and rule.

Coincidentally, just a day or two ago I was having a chat with my friends and one said India was lucky to have had only Hindu-Muslim division, and didn't have to go through division in every sects of Hinduism. As every place in India has its its own culture and rituals, which are totally different but still Hindu; and if Brits played well they could have played these sects even against each other.

The minority status accorded to Jain community by the Union government is expected to benefit a number of students who come from economically weaker sections, especially in rural areas in the State.

Now, Jain students whose familyâ€™s annual income is less than Rs. 2.5 lakh are eligible for scholarship given by the State government, which recognises Jains as minority community.

But with national minority status accorded by Union government, this limit goes up to Rs. 4.5 lakh, under Centrally-sponsored scholarships.

â€œOne of the biggest benefits from the minority status will be in the education sector both for students as well institutions run by Jains. Students from our community will now have access to a number of Central scholarships, which were hitherto not available to us,â€ said Jitendra Jain, president of Karnataka Jain Association.

According to him, the largest Jain pocket is found in Belgaum district that has nearly half of the total Jain population in the State, besides a sizeable population in the rural areas in Mysore, Hassan, Bijapur, Bagalkot and Gulbarga districts.

â€œMost of them are agriculture labourers or marginal land holders. We expect minority status to help this section of the Jain community,â€ he said.

Further, educational institutions managed by Jains will be recognised as minority institutions where up to 50 per cent of seats are reserved for community members. However, the reservation policy does not apply in the appointment of faculty members.

Though minority institutions benefit community students, there are, however, only two engineering colleges â€” one in Shravanabelogola and the other in Bangalore, while a medical college is yet to be established. Besides in Bangalore, educational institutions are run by Jains in Belgaum and Hassan districts.
Community help

â€œTill now, the Jain community has been pitching in with financial aid for needy students and it will continue to do so. The minority status will open up new avenues for students,â€ said chairman of Jain Coordination Committee Sajjan Raj Mehta.

â€œThe needy students receive up to 40 per cent of their educational expenses from various organisations such as the Jain International Trade Organisations and the Jain Yuva Sanghatane Seva Trust,â€ he added.

The largest Jain pocket is found in Belgaum district that has nearly half of the total Jain population in the State, besides a sizeable population in the rural areas in Mysore, Hassan, Bijapur, Bagalkot and Gulbarga districts.

â€œMost of them are agriculture labourers or marginal land holders. We expect minority status to help this section of the Jain community,â€ he said.

Its not minority appeasement but uplifting of fellow Indians who are economically backward and i am for such things for all the Indians who are economically backward.

The Pauperis Jainis (latin) also known as the 'Poor Jain' is an endangered and exotic species. Found exclusively in India, this species hides in plain sight. So good it is at it's camouflage that it has never been spotted in person ever. A few specimens exist, but they are closely guarded and believed to be held in captivity in the dungeons of the Planning Commission. Only few thousand are believed to be remaining and their numbers are dwindling at a very rapid pace. Now with the government intervention, they shall remain poor forever.